Rail-joint.



No. 660,484. Patented Oct. 23,1900.

H'. m. BOYD & H. manmon.

RAIL JOINT.

(Application filed Jan. 31. 1900.)

(No ModeL) wuwwtow He 72 y/fl qydi Hope 1749627270 72.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. BOYD, OF SIERRA BLANCA, TEXAS, AND HOPE REDMON, OF OYNTHIANA,KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-TENTH TO JOHN W. RENAKER, OF OYNTHIANA,KENTUCKY.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,484, dated October23, 1900.

Application filed January 31, 1900. Serial No. 3,486. (No model.)

To wZ/l whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY M. BOYD, residing at Sierra Blanca, in thecounty of El Paso and Siateof Texas, and HOPE REDMON, residing atOynthiana, in the county of Harrisen and State of Kentucky, citizens ofthe United Stat es, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements inRail-Joints; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it. appcrtains to make and'use the same.

It is a desideratum in the construction of railways to connect the endsof adjacent rails in such a manner as to prevent relative, independent,vertical, and lateral play, which isa source of annoyance and discomfortto passenger traffic, as well as prolific of cost in the maintenance ofrolling-stock. It is also deemed a material advantage to reduce thenumber of bolt-fastenings at the joints or to dispense with their use asmuch as possible, since the nuts loosen under the vibration of the railsand require constant vigilance to keep them tightened.

This invention provides afastening means for rail-joints adapted toembrace the bottom and top sides of the foot and the sides of the web ofthe rail and to extend along the underside of the head,so as to bracethe joint vertically. The fastening is composed of complementary partsof similar formation, one of the parts having a plurality of openings inits folded portion and the other part having a corresponding number oftongues at the free edge of its base positioned with reference to theopenings of the companion member so as to pass therethrough, saidtongues and the base of the apertured member having openings to receivethe spikes by means of which the parts are simultaneously secured to theties and drawn closeagainst opposite sides of the terminal portions ofthe is to be had to the following description and the drawings heretoattached.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention arenecessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodimentof the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective, view of a railjoint, showing the applicationof the in vention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, parts being brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a transverse section about on the line X X of Fig. 2.Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views, respectively, of the complementaryparts of the joint-fastening.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The terminal portions of adjacent rails comprising the joint areindicated by the reference-numeral l and are of ordinary constructionand relative disposition. The fastening is composed of complementaryparts 2 and 3 of similar formation and designed to overlap the jointformed between the abutting terminals of the parts 1.

The part or member 2 of the fastenings comprises a base portion 4, avertical longitudinal extension 5, and a folded portion 6, the latterbeing provided at intervals in its length with openings 7. A series ofopenings 8 are provided along the free edge of the base 4 to receive thespikes 9, by means of which the part 2 is secured to the ties of theroad-bed. The base 4 constitutesa seat for the end portiohs of therails, the folded portion 6 embraces a side portion of the foot of therail ends, and the part 5 forms in effect a plate to extend along oneside of the web of the rail, its top edge touching the lower side of thehead or tread portion of the said rail. The part 3 is composed of a base10, a folded portion 11, and vertical longitudinal extension 12. Aseries of tongues 13 project from the free edge of the, base 10 and arepositioned so as to register with the opening 7 and pass therethrough.Openings 14 are provided in the tongues 13 to receive the spikesemployed for securing the part 3 to the aforementioned ties. The part 3is placed upon the part 2, and its folded portion 11 embraces base orlower portion of the rail.

the opposite side portion of the foot of the rail, and the verticallongitudinal extension 12 is placed against the side of the web of therail remote from the longitudinal extension 5. The longitudinalextensions 5 and 12 form in effect plates and perform the same functionas the ordinary fish-plates and are clamped against opposite sides ofthe Web portion of the rail. The base 10 is of less width than the base4, so as to admit of the exposure of the openings 8, whereby when thespikes 9 are driven into. said openings 8 the parts 2 and 3 will beforeed'in opposite directions and clamped against opposite sides of theThis clam ping action of the members or parts 2 and 3 of the fasteningis supplemented by driving the spikes through the openings 14, thetendency being to draw the parts 2 and 3 together and against oppositesides of the rail.

The tongue member 3 of the fastening, designated as such incontradistinction to the apertured member 2, having the opening 7, isslightly longer than said apertured member, so as to obviate the suddenarrest of vibration, which has been found objectionable, and the greatwidth of the apertured member 2 results in giving an additionaltransverse extent to the foot of the rail, thereby materially strengtheni ng the joint and producing greater stability.

In order to prevent spreading of the parts 5 and 12 and, further, tolend additional strength to the joint, it has been found of advantage toprovide oneor both of said parts with transversely-extending studs 15 toenter openings 16 in the web of the rail, the opening 16 being elongatedlengthwise of the rail to allow for contraction and expansion. It isalso contemplated to employ one or more bolts 17 for connecting theparts 5 and 12 when found necessaryand expedient.

The members 2 and 3 may be either cast or struck up from heavy platemetal, and the studs 15 may form integral parts thereof or be separatefrom and applied thereto. The fastening is of such a nature as to admitof the parts being readily placed in position or reriioved, as required.It is necessary only to elevate the rail a sufficient distance to adinit ofthe base portions 4 and 10 of the parts being passed by atransversely-sliding movement beneath the foot thereof. Therefore theconstruction of the roadwayis greatly facilitated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rail-joint, complementary members of similar formation, eachcomprising a base, avertical longitudinal extension and an intermediatefolded portion, one of the members adapted to be placed upon the baseportion of the other member and having a series of'tongues provided withspike-openings, and the other member having openings in its foldedportion to receive the aforementioned tongues and having its baseportion of greater transverse extent than the superposed member andhaving the projecting base portion formed with a series of spikeopenings, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rail-joint, complementary members adapted to be placed uponopposite sides of the rail and having overlapping base portions, themember having the lowermost base portion being provided at the side withopenings, and the member having the uppermost base port-ion formed atthe inner edge of its base portion with tongues to pass through saidopenings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY M. BOYD. HOPE REDMON. Witnesses:

J. J. OSBORNE, J W. POI'NDEXTER.

[L. s] [1,. s.

